"The Safe Word"

For the last two months I have spent at least eight hours a day writing. I am proud to say that I have finished my second novel. I am currently twenty chapters into a third one. I have also read at least twenty books since the start of the pandemic, and walked at least 4 to five miles each morning. I know, these may not sound like extraordinary tasks. There are a vast amount of people who are walking, writing and reading these days. I am not an anomaly. I am sharing these things to say that goals are important. Our world has taken an unexpected turn. We are all facing a bit of the unknown. What we used to know as normal has become the "new normal". Many of us have become discouraged about the goals that we may have had for ourselves. I am a firm believer in that nothing worth working hard for ever comes easy. Goals are obtained by putting one foot in front of the other and never looking back or saying "I can't." We all may be experiencing change, but remembering the words of the Apostle Paul will carry us through this time. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." 1 Corinthians 9:24. Now go on, lace up those sneakers, put your shoulder to the grindstone and run your race. I'll see you back on the sidewalk, Roe

My neighbor has this 1966 Chevelle Malibu sitting on his lawn. This car is fifty- seven years old. Now I am by no ways an expert on cars, but from the outside, the car looks as though it's been kept in pretty good condition. It’s shiny blue exterior glistened and the chrome had a sparkle. It was also apparent that the owner has taken some time making sure that this classic stays in prime condition. I’ve always been drawn to older things. I love old furniture, old cars and especially classic fashion from the ’60s. I love taking a bit of what’s by-gone and mixing it with what’s modern. Recently, I bought a pair of bright red cat-eye eyeglasses. I love the retro look. I’ve inherited a lot of both my mother and my aunt’s belongings and furniture. Both of them have passed on, but there is something to be said about old stuff. It has endured the test of time, by the mere fact that it’s considered a classic clearly indicates that its value is tied to its age. I remember when I was a freshman in college. I started off as a nursing major, I wanted to be a geriatric nurse. I fell in love with the elderly people at the nursing home where I worked. The stories that they told, they made history live and breathe for me. It’s the reason that any time I am with someone who is much older than me, I want to sit and listen to what they have to say. My parents lived through the Civil Rights Movement. They would share with me so many of the triumphs and defeats that they struggled through at that time. Because of those stories, I value the past and what it can teach us about the present. Ok, so now you know why I love old stuff. Our society no longer sees old as good. Today’s manufacturers make items that purposely only last for a period of time. We are always tossing away the old version to get the newer version. How many versions of the I-phone are there now? Don’t get me wrong, there are some things that are better when they are sparking new but let’s not forget that the old things of the past have a purpose too. Our seniors have so much to offer to our youth, but often they are cast aside because society believes that they have outlived their usefulness. Go visit a nursing home and see for yourself. Check out the care that an elderly person gets who has a preexisting condition when it comes to insurance coverage. The list goes on. My point being is that I don’t want to contribute to a throw-away society. King David asked the Lord not to cast him away when he grew old. He did not want to be forsaken when his strength was gone. (Ps. 71:9 NIV). In my book, a little remembrance of the past is always good. God does tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ the “new” creation has come, but he also tells us in Psalms 90:12 to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Let it not be said that wisdom doesn't come with age..

Now that our lives are a little less busier I've buried myself in my passion. Writing that is. Being in the middle of a global pandemic is not exactly the most comforting place to be, but it has given all of us some extra time to think a lot about where we are in the world and what we will be doing with our lives when this crisis is over. Before everything shut down I had landed so pretty cool gigs with my books. Of course they were all put on hold after Covid struck. I was disappointed about having to cancel and postpone several engagements that it had taken a great deal of time to get scheduled. I have also not been able to attend many of the events that have kept me connected with those who are doing what I love to do. Despite these disappointments, I count myself blessed, because I have wanted for nothing. Now that we are several months into our "New Normal", I started to realize that my world view has really changed. I've had a lot more time to spend on my writing, but I have also had more time to spend on thinking about the impact that creativity will have in the world. Sitting still has made me a better writer, it has helped me to dig deeper and thing harder about my thoughts and how those thoughts can change the world. Not only writers, but artists, and other creatives are in their groove right now. So much has happened that has changed how we see so many aspects of our communities. This blog is just a quick reminder to hang in there, find your sweet spot, the thing that brings you peace. We will come through the other side. Practice a little radical self care and I'll see you on the other side, stronger and wiser.

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine and I got together to hang out for a while. She wanted to grab a few items for her grandson, so we decided to meet in one of our local stores. Since she no longer lives in Harrisburg we get together when we can and just hang out with each other doing ordinary things like running errands. We spent a great time in this store simply browsing the aisles and getting caught up with each other, neither of us having plans to do any major shopping, surprising. We decided to take a stroll up to the shoe department just to take a look. There were many shoes that we discussed, some we liked and many we dubbed as “ugly.” We came across several in particular that sparked us on a trip down memory lane reminiscing about old movies that we had watched. If you have ever watched Pam Grier as Foxy Brown or Richard Roundtree playing John Shaft you can relate to our discussion. There were many episodes where there was a street scene that was shot of either Foxy Brown or Shaft engaging with a lady of the evening, you know, streetwalker, a woman of ill repute, sex slave, kept woman, or the dreaded W word. (Whore). Now, I know you are wondering, how did we get down this path from a friendly outing with two friends. The shoes that we gave names to lead us to several pairs that reminded us of those ladies from those old movies. Shoes that looked like someone who was in that particular profession would wear. In fact, we dubbed several of the shoes we came across as “Hooker shoes, cheap-looking and tacky.” Ok, so you are still probably wondering what does this have to do with my friend outing? Our categorizing these shoes suddenly reminded me of how quickly we can develop stereotypes about people. I’m sure that there are some people who have ordinary jobs who may own a pair of those shoes that we may have dubbed as “hooker shoes.” This window-shopping excursion made me begin to think about stereotypes. Are we as a society quick to judge and label others by what we see on the outside? Have we truly forgotten that a man’s character should not be judged by what’s on the outside, but what lies beneath the surface? Was it not the words of the Apostle Matthew who said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged? Matthew 7:1 (NIV). It was a great day hanging out with my girlfriend, we laughed, reminisced and both left the store that day with a new thought in mind, let’s take a deeper look and see beyond the exterior. We could be missing out on some amazing people. Be blessed, and remember, don’t judge by the shoes that a man/woman wears, look at the soul that looks beneath the surface.

For the last several weeks I've been working with a group of elementary and middle school girls at a summer camp. I've enjoyed this short hiatus from producing a play. For the past three summers I've gathered all my sister-girlfriends, and my family into the world of community theatre and asked them to commit to the rigorist task of putting on a live stage production. It's been an amazing sojourn, but now it's time to move into the second leg of this adventurous path toward becoming a writer whose stories have a boisterous voice in the community. For the past three years I've spent writing what I believe is my epic legacy to my children. Bits and pieces of my child hood are weaved throughout this book. " A Warm Heart of Steele is the story of how my parents met and the events that took place during the race riots in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in 1968. Many creative liberties were taken in writing this novel, but there are many factual events that I believe the reader will find fascinating. Its been almost eight years since I seriously started writing and thinking of myself as someone who had something serious to say. I know that I am not alone, there are many people who have ventured into the world of writing and producing plays. I know that I am not an anomaly. I would like to think that what sets me apart from the others who put pen to paper is the desire to write about how the past has sculptured the present. What's happening in the world today is fueling the hate and destruction of our society. We owe it to our children to speak loudly and to make change. I hope that what I write about today will make a difference for what tomorrow has to bring. Stay tuned for excerpts from my newest book, "A Warm Heart of Steele."

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 Here's another case of what has gone wrong in our society with yet another young person with a traumatic childhood. Cyntoia Brown was a 16 year old prostitute lost to the streets and at the mercy of a pimp know as "Cut Throat." In 2004 Brown was charged as an adult for the murder of 43 year old Johnny Allen. It was reported that Allen had purchased Brown for $150.00 for exchange for sex.  Apparently something here was missed. Sex trafficking isn't new, its been happening since the dawning of time. No need to relive those facts, but here's what am still scratching my head over. How does a 16 year old rape victim become the criminal? I repeat, clearly we have missed something here.  When our criminal justice system puts a young girl behind bars for killing her tormentor something has gone awry with the "system". Filmmaker Dan Birman made a documentary entitled, "Me facing Life: Cyntoia's Story", which aired in 2011 on PBS. Birman's documentary focused on the issues surrounding the juvenile justice system and the discriminatory criminal treatment of women of color engaged in prostitution.  This young girl, now a woman in her mid thirties has spent the last fifteen years in prison, which would have been a life sentence if she had not received clemency from Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Brown will be released from prison on august 7th of 2019. It was apparent that Brown was headed down a path of trouble and delinquency as a young teen, however, she is an example of what can be done when one puts their mind to finding a sunny spot on the other side of the street. We know that was not an easy task, there wasn't much sunshine shining in the life of this young lady. A statement released from her lawyer quoted Brown thanking Haslam stating, "for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me." Not only has Brown worked to earn her GED, but she also obtained a college degree from Lipscomb University.  I do ponder what the world missed out on for 15 years? We already know what Brown missed out on. The life of a teenager going to the prom, football games and breaking up with her boyfriend. Brown had a troubled childhood, these things weren't in the cards for her, but the possibility of them ever being there were taken away. What could have been, if something, someone would have intervened? These stories of childhood taken away because of crime, lack of parental guidance, and a broken system are way too frequently reported. What happened to that life? Instead she received, strip searches, possible sexual assault and a life time criminal record as a felon. Again, I say we need to give some examination not only to our criminal justice system, but also asking ourselves would our tax dollars have done Cyntoia Brown better justice fifteen years ago? Sources: Fox News.com Refinerary29.com CBS Nightly News

 I can't forget it. The date was April 20, 1999. I had been teaching for ten years and I was currently teaching at a high school when the school massacre of Columbine High School occurred. The two young perpetrators, were only twelfth grade students. It was on that day that Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold murdered twelve students and one teacher. After that they took their own lives. At the time, this was the deadliest high school shooting in America's history.  Unfortunately, these deadly school incidents didn't stop at Columbine. These tragedies continued to painfully flourish. The list goes on, as of 2019 the count of lives lost in school shootings totals 128. Here's a list of the 10 most deadliest school shootings: In 2007- 33 deaths occurred at Virginia Tech University in Blackburg, VA. In 2013- 27 deaths occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. In 2018- 17 deaths occurred at Marjory Stoneman Doughlas High School, in Parkland, Fla. In 2015- 10 deaths occurred at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Org. In 2018- 10 deaths occurred at Santa Fe High School, in Santa Fe, Tex. In 2005- 7 deaths occurred at Red Lake Senior High School, Red Lake, Minn. In 2012- 7 deaths occurred at Oikos University, in Oakland Calif. In 2006- 6 deaths occurred at West Nickel Mines School, in Bart Township, Penn In 2008- 6 deaths occurred at Northern Illinois University, in Dekalb, Ill. in 2014 -5 deaths occurred at Marysville Pilchuck High School, in Marysville, WA. Source: Axios.com  Most recently, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, established by Florida Legislation released it's report for increasing safety in public schools. The report focused on three main points: Increasing security resources Training police to respond aggressively Arming some trained teachers Source: CBS Weekly News  Frightening isn't it? Our schools now have the burden of not only being responsible for educating our youth, but now securing the schools and possibly having to decide which teachers to train to stop deadly attacks. We are putting a lot of faith and assurance on school officials and legislation don't you think?  This is not the only alarming fact, teen suicide rates have increased. The suicide rate for boys ages 10-14 has increased to 200 percent. The rate for girls ages 10-14 went from sixth to third. These frightening statistics are evidence enough to suggest that our neighborhoods and communities must make some drastic changes in our approach with both education, law enforcement and how we treat teen mental health. Source: The Washington Post.com Source: TheHill.com  As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child". This has got to become more than a quaint cliche'. We as a society must take back our children. Can we really afford to let another massacre occur? It's sad when they become so frequent that we except them as normal occurrences. Let's stop and take a real look at what's happening not only in our schools, but in our own homes. Let's get back into the habit of having real conversations with our children. It's going to take some work and some time. It sounds like an impossible plan, but it can be done, in fact it must be done.    As parents we can't step aside and say, it's the school's job, nor can we continue to blame the alarming rate of teens with mental health issues on the changing morality values of our society. Let's not leave the future of our children to chance. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change you want to see in the world".

 I remembered when my son was in high school and he decided to grow his hair long and dye it red. My first reaction was to ask myself how this was going to play itself out? How long would the phase last? My husband and I didn't have a problem with my son's choice of hair styling. If this was the way that he chose to express himself, then we were fine with it. When I was in high school I was quite the hair rebel myself. I had a huge Angela Davis afro. It was so long that it parted itself down the middle. Self expression is a healthy way of discovering who you are and helps all of us develop our self image. As parents we realized that our children could have become involved in other things, like drugs and alcohol in their quest to self discovery. We were pleased that they didn't take that route, so hair expression was a easy one.  A week or so ago, I was watching the news and spotted this story about a high school wrestler in New Jersey who was forced to cut his dreadlocks prior to being able to wrestle. The referee that forced him to make the choice of either cutting his hair or forfeiting the match has had some previous issues for using a racial slur against another referee that happened to be African American.  As we all know, there has been an increase in the media of stories that relate to racial discrimination. These stories have focused on the negativity of racist attitudes and stereotyping of minorities. I want to take a look at the other side of the spectrum. Let's focus our eyes on the caliber of the leader that's brewing in the heart of the young wrestler, Andrew Johnson.  It took a lot for this young man to make the decision to have an athletic trainer hack off his hair in front of a large crowd of people. This type of sacrifice from a young man who is at the beginning of his journey as a African American man in America needs to be commended. These are the qualities that can be found in some of our countries greatest leaders. Again, I won't go down the list of those who have sacrificed greatly for the furtherment of others, but this is a quality that needs to be nurtured and emulated by our society's youth.  I am not commenting what happen, that action was totally appalling. what I am giving this young man applause for is his reaction to the insulting, racist attitude of the wresting official. Johnson did not become belligerent in his response to the ridiculous actions that he was subject do, instead he chose to walk the high road receiving much grace and admiration in the eyes of his team mates and many of those who saw this degrading display of racially charged antagonism.  What happened to Andrew Johnson had wrong written all over it, but what was right was his reaction to a response of hatred. Andrew will grow in prosper from this incident. He will reap accolades and blessings that are beyond his understanding simply because he did not chose to return malice and spite to how he was treated. Galatians 6:9 says, " Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I employ Andrew Johnson not to give up, he will reap the harvest in due time. s an high school athlete and his coach didn't seem to have a problem with his self expression either, as long as he showed up for practice and played his best self expression was not a concern. Teens have been using their hair as a way of expression themselves for centuries. In the last several years both African American women and men have started moving away from chemically straightening their hair. This natural hair movement has received some negative feedback from the media.  An article was written and published on Vox.com about a woman in Alabama that went on a job interview wearing short locs, and dressed in appropriate business attire. She was offered the job with the understanding that she would need to cut her locs. She refused to cut her hair. She was told by an HR manager that dreadlocs violated the company's policy on grooming. The incident occurred in 2010, since then the case has gone to court and is still in litigation withthe company over it's final decision.  Jones, the woman involved in the litigation filed the case as a clear example of racial discrimination. The company contends that their policy on grooming was simply a company policy and had nothing to do with race. Two years later the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company.